Constitution Day Celebration at University of West Georgia Planned for September 17

The University of West Georgia and the Ingram Library will honor Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a reception and intriguing dialogue about government, democracy and the Constitution.

The event is free and the community is invited to attend Dr. Robert M. Schaefer, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Planning, will lecture on “The American Constitution: A Celebratory Address (with an Admonition)” at 11 a.m. on the main floor of the library.

The presentation will focus on the establishment of American republic and the difficulty of preserving a constitution. Schaefer said the admonition is serious yet not preachy.

“This will be a political oration on behalf of the Constitution,” said Schaefer. “And to talk about the Constitution you have to talk about Rome, Athens and the difficultly of founding a good regime. The Constitution is fundamental to every aspect of our lives and it is important for citizens to give thought about what the Constitution means to this country.”

Constitution Day commemorates Sept. 17, 1787, which is the day the Constitutional Convention delegates signed the document. A federal law passed in 2004 requires all educational institutions that receive federal funds to observe Constitution Day.

Each year, the president issues a proclamation encouraging government officials and educational organizations to celebrate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

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"Celebrating the Constitution" at the National Archives in Morrow

Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution

In September, 1865 the United States Circuit Court of Western Tennessee in Memphis issued a writ of Habeas Corpus charging Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest with treason.

The National Archives-Southeast Region will celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, from 10:00-11:00 A.M. with an exciting program featuring readings, speeches, and a special document exhibit. "James Madison" (Former President and Founding Father as well as the Father of the Constitution) will join the National Archives staff in welcoming the public to this free event.

The National Archives, our nation's recordkeeper, is the official custodian of the original Constitution which is on permanent display in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building, located on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, Washington, D.C.

The ceremony in the Southeast Region celebrates the world's oldest written national constitution still in effect. The completed document was accepted by the Constitutional Convention on September 15, 1787, and the final draft was signed on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This date marks a milestone in our history.

Dr. Jamil S. Zainaldin, President of the Georgia Humanities Council will be the special guest speaker for the ceremony at the National Archives-Southeast Region. Zainaldin holds the BA in history from the University of Virginia and the PhD in history from the University of Chicago. He is a frequent writer and speaker on the importance of history, literature, ethics, and civic values.

After the formal program, guests are invited to view a display of original documents reflecting specific sections of the Constitution. Documents related to the indictments of Aaron Burr and Nathan Bedford Forrest for treason, filings in Federal court cases related to freedom of speech and the press, and numerous documents from the modern Civil Rights Movement related to the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution will be on display.

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Celebrate Constitution Day with Bells

Carolyn Balog and Regent Betty Harrah
Photo by Ann Eldredge

The James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will kick off Constitution Week with bell ringing on September 17th at noon at the old Fayette County Courthouse in Fayetteville. The weeklong commemoration of America’s most important document is one of our country’s least known official observances. Our Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those unalienable rights to every American. The public is invited to bring bells and join in as our country celebrates the day. In addition to the bells, all are invited to publicly sign their support of the U. S. Constitution. The Marquis de Lafayette Chapter Sons of the American Revolution will be providing a musket salute for the occasion.

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